Chapter 169: The Eternal Staircase

"Of course not."

The Blood Fiend Ancestor replied, "My strength is far below what it used to be, primarily because my memories are sealed. Many martial arts techniques escape my mind, so naturally, my strength has diminished."

"I see."

Chen Changsheng nodded in understanding.

"By the way, Young Master Chen, I currently have a very strong intuition," the Blood Fiend Ancestor shifted the topic.

"What kind of intuition?"

"Once we enter the Realm of the Gods, we will immediately encounter Tianwu," said the Blood Fiend Ancestor. "In other words, the moment we step into the Realm of the Gods, we are likely to engage in a fierce battle with Tianwu."

Chen Changsheng froze, frowning in contemplation. The possibility suggested by the Blood Fiend Ancestor was very real.

Three hundred years ago, Tianwu of the Realm of the Gods had cast the Blood Fiend Ancestor into the Gate of the Void to test the waters. Over the past three hundred years, Tianwu must have been monitoring the Gate of the Void constantly.

Under such circumstances, it was inevitable that the moment he and his companions entered the Realm of the Gods, they would run straight into her.

Damn it!

Entering the Realm of the Gods this time turned out to be a perilous journey after all!

Chen Changsheng let out a soft sigh and asked the Blood Fiend Ancestor, "Old Fiend, how strong is Tianwu? Will you, combined with everyone present here, be a match for her?"

The Blood Fiend Ancestor smiled bitterly. "Tianwu is a prominent figure of great status within the Realm of the Gods. Her strength goes without saying. With my current capabilities, I would be obliterated in a split second before Tianwu."

"Sigh..."

Chen Changsheng stood there, blinking blankly as he secretly drew in a cold breath.

He knew Tianwu was formidable, but he had never expected her to be tyrannical to such an extent, capable of instantly killing even the Blood Fiend Ancestor.

"Old Fiend, does that mean our situation is extremely dire?"

Chen Changsheng gave a bitter smile. "Entering the Realm of the Gods like this seems far too reckless. It appears we need to rethink our plans thoroughly."

He and his daughter had journeyed to the Realm of the Gods in pursuit of the Dao of Eternal Life.

If they were to drop dead the moment they entered the Realm of Eternity, what on earth was the point? They might as well have stayed in the Chant-Snow Realm indefinitely.

Initially, he had believed that with a super bodyguard like the Blood Fiend Ancestor, alongside the beauties around him and the entire demon clan of the Chant-Snow Realm, they would be able to throw their weight around a little in the Realm of the Gods.

Who would have thought that the very first enemy they were likely to encounter upon entering the Realm of the Gods—Tianwu—was capable of instantly slaying the Blood Fiend Ancestor.

"Young Master Chen, do not worry," the Blood Fiend Ancestor said with calm and confident assurance.

"No, Old Fiend, didn't you just say that Tianwu's strength can instantly kill your current self? By that logic, wiping out all of us would require practically no effort at all, yet you claim there is nothing to worry about?"

Chen Changsheng asked in confusion. "Could it be that you have some sort of brilliant master plan?"

The Fiend Ancestor didn't have a single damn master plan!

The Blood Fiend Ancestor chuckled inwardly and said, "Young Master Chen, you need not worry. I can guarantee that nothing will go wrong when the time comes."

Tianwu's strength was terrifying, indeed. However, with Young Master Chen and his daughter present, how formidable could Tianwu possibly be?

Hearing the words of the Blood Fiend Ancestor, Chen Changsheng remained utterly bewildered. "Old Fiend, are you certain nothing will go wrong?"

"Positive!"

The Blood Fiend Ancestor was brimming with confidence.

"Very well."

Chen Changsheng could only respond with a helpless smile. He could not fathom why this old fiend was so confident.

However, since the Blood Fiend Ancestor was so assured, he didn't bother to dwell on it further. If they proved unable to deal with Tianwu when the time came, he would hold the fiend accountable.

As the two conversed, they arrived at the Eternal Staircase.

Before them, at the center of a celestial mountain, a flight of stone steps suspended itself in mid-air, ascending upward.

The entire staircase exuded an immensely ancient aura, its surface even showing signs of weathering, saturated with the vicissitudes of passing ages.

The stone steps were remarkably grand, measuring a full twenty meters in width, possessing a majestic and imposing momentum.

The massive staircase stretched endlessly upward, plunging into the clouds. It was impossible to tell how high it reached, evoking a profound sense of mystery, grandeur, and antiquity.

A distinct and peculiar spatial current drifted across the surface of the steps.

"Daddy, this staircase is so huge."

Chen Die'er tightly clutched Chen Changsheng's hand, tilting her exquisitely sculpted little face upward as she spoke in soft wonder.

"Yes, it truly is massive."

Chen Changsheng nodded. Standing before the Eternal Staircase, a sense of awe welled up from the depths of his soul.

Everyone present harbored a mixture of shock and anticipation.

"Young Master Chen, this staircase is the Eternal Staircase. It goes by another name as well—the Dao of Heaven."

Emperor Shitian wore a face full of expectation as he said to Chen Changsheng, "In endless antiquity, the Divine Phoenix clan entered the Realm of the Gods via this very Eternal Staircase.

I once attempted to cross this Eternal Staircase to enter the Realm of the Gods, but I failed."

Emperor Shitian explained to Chen Changsheng.

Everyone on the scene gazed at Chen Changsheng with faces full of eager anticipation.

This Young Master Chen was about to lead them across this tower to the heavens and into the Realm of the Gods.

How exciting!

"Old Fiend, are you certain you can break the restrictions on this Eternal Staircase and enter the Realm of the Gods?"

Chen Changsheng secretly questioned the Blood Fiend Ancestor once more. Emperor Shitian was a Venerable of Great Evolution with formidable strength; if even he was incapable of shattering the restrictions present on the Eternal Staircase, one could easily imagine how terrifying those seals were.

"Young Master Chen, rest assured, there will be no problems."

The Blood Fiend Ancestor was exceptionally certain, though he chuckled inwardly to himself: *With you father and daughter here, does this fiend even need to do anything?*

"Very well then."

Chen Changsheng finally set his mind entirely at ease. Without further delay, he waved his hand to the crowd. "Follow me, everyone."

With those words, he took Chen Die'er's small hand and stepped onto the Eternal Staircase.

"Huh? I don't feel anything special about this Eternal Staircase at all."

Standing on the stone steps, Chen Changsheng furrowed his brow in confusion. A peculiar spatial current was clearly emanating from the Eternal Staircase.

Yet right now, he could not sense the slightest anomaly; the stone steps beneath his feet felt no different from ordinary stairs.

"That's right, Daddy, isn't this just an ordinary staircase?"

Chen Die'er squeezed his hand tightly, nodding in agreement.

"Well then, let's walk a bit higher and see."

Chen Changsheng nodded, leading Chen Die'er further upward.

At this moment, the Blood Fiend Ancestor was simultaneously shocked and ecstatic. The bizarre spatial currents permeating the Eternal Staircase were glaringly obvious—clearly the result of the restrictions placed upon it.

He could clearly sense that as the father and daughter ascended the steps, those strange spatial currents automatically parted to either side.

*Just as the old fiend anticipated! Young Master Chen and his daughter can effortlessly shatter the restrictions on this Eternal Staircase.*

The Blood Fiend Ancestor's soul trembled violently. With this pair of father and daughter around, he was damn well going to make a smooth return to the Realm of the Gods this time.

At the same time, a profound sense of bewilderment filled his heart. This father and daughter were absolute outsiders to the Chant-Snow Realm, so where on earth did they come from?

The crowd closely followed behind the father and daughter, stepping up the stairs one after another.

As time passed, Emperor Shitian felt a mixture of shock and elation. He had once attempted to tread upon this Eternal Staircase in an effort to enter the Realm of the Gods. However, his experience had been entirely different: he had walked here alone for three full years yet failed to make any headway, with the clouds remaining perpetually suspended directly above his head.

The staircase seemed infinitely long, impossible ever to ascend.

And it was precisely for this reason that the name of the Eternal Staircase had been given.